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Scar vs. Shere Khan
Description Evolved from the sabre toothed cats of long ago, today the cats too big to keep as pets, we fear as the vicious predators of the wild. Who is the real top cat, and who will get reduced to kitty litter? Interlude MBStarscream: Hey Hiro, what would you say is the biggest rivalry in the animal kingdom? Hiro: Well, if we're going by ALL of history, probably T-Rex vs. Spinosaurus. But if we're just going by modern times, then definitely lion vs. tiger. MBStarscream: Yeah, these two fatal felines have not only gotten a big rivalry, but also big popularity, from movies to TV shows, and these two in particular are good examples provided by the happiest place on Earth. Hiro: Scar, the treacherous usurper of the Pride Lands... MBStarscream: And Shere Khan, the scourge of man-cubs everywhere. Hiro: I'm Hiro Hamada. MBStarscream: I'm MBStarscream. Hiro: And it's our job to examine both warriors' strength, abilities, weapons, and weaknesses to see who would win in a fight. Scar Hiro: In the plains of Africa stands a symbol of equivalent exchange and strength. There resides the Lion King of the Pride Lands. It is he that overlooks the animals and assures that the circle of life circulates as it should. But there are some who seek to use the title of King and the spoils of the Pride Lands for evil. Those whose hearts are possessed by greed and driven by envy and delusions of power. People not dissimilar to King Mufasa’s brother, Scar. MBStarscream: Scar's resentment and envy towards his brother go way back. Scar was born Taka to King Ahadi and Queen Uru, and even at adolescence, he plotted against his brother. However, when he and Mufasa were tasked with dealing with a greedy water buffalo, the resulting altercation resulted in a nasty injury on Taka’s eye, leaving a permanent scar, which Taka took as his new namesake as a reminder of his recklessness. Hiro: When the two brothers reached adulthood and Prince Simba was born with the birthright to succeed Mufasa as ruler, Scar's mind cooked up a devious plan: Trick Simba and his best friend Nala into getting lost in the Elephant Graveyard, where three members of his hyena army, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, were waiting to be served two cubs on a silver platter. MBStarscream: But we all know how that turned out. So for Plan B, Scar used his nephew as bait in a stampede of wildebeest triggered by the hyenas and murdered Mufasa before manipulating Simba into exiling himself from the Pride Lands. With his brother and nephew out of his way, the Pride Lands bowed to their new king until Simba returned as an adult and knocked him off the top rug. But this lion didn't go down without a fight, and a bloody epic one at that. Hiro: Compared to the other lions in the Lion King franchise, Scar is much thinner and less built, and he’s actually rather weak physically, as he himself admitted to Mufasa. Scar: Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion's share, but when it comes to brute strength... I believe I am at the shallow end of the gene pool. Hiro: This is actually for a reason, as revealed at the recent D23 expo in promotional material for the upcoming ‘Lion Guard’ spin off. Here we learn that as the King’s brother, Scar was the head of the Lion Guard, which also enabled him a magic roar that apparently echoed the royal family’s ancestors. However, when his avaricious aim became clear, Scar was stripped of this power, making him the thin, somewhat sickly lion you see before you today. MBStarscream: But hey! Who needs magic when you have a whole army of laughing hyenas by your side? Hiro: Scar has won over the loyalty of a huge legion of hyenas. Though not overly competent or loyal, there’s a strength in their sheer numbers. They’re relentless and have sharp enough teeth to make a deadly adversary in their own right. In addition, while he doesn’t have much to spare in the department of brawn, Scar is deceptively quick on his paws. MBStarscream: When he led Mufasa to Simba, both ran at a similar pace, meaning Scar, even in an older, weaker state, can still keep up with a perfectly healthy Mufasa. He also managed to clamp Zazu in his mouth in nearly a second flat and take on the likes of Simba, a male lion who was younger and possessed greater vitality and health, even flooring him with one blow from his paw. Hiro: Scar relies more heavily on brain than brawn, and is no stranger to orchestrating a plan. By having his hyenas chase a whole horde of wildebeest toward Simba, and manipulating Mufasa to try and save his son, he managed to achieve his goals of murdering his brother in cold blood. He always seems to have an ace up his sleeve and a scapegoat right behind that. When Simba approached, he had a horde of hyenas just waiting to sink their teeth in the exiled prince. MBStarscream: All that said, Scar can easily back himself into a corner. He can sometimes suffer a slip of the tongue, which can turn any loyalists he had against him, leading to his demise in the case of the hyenas. He isn’t an overly strong fighter either, and he doesn’t even like to hunt for himself. The biggest prey he’s seen taking himself is a mere mouse, citing that it’s the lioness' job to do the hunting. Hiro: He relies on unfair, dirty tactics to even leave a dent in Simba. Has there been no ashes to throw in his nephew’s face, Simba would’ve overpowered him far easier. But there is strength in taking advantage of one’s surroundings. Scar is deadly even if it is in a sense unconventional for most predators. He makes a far better mastermind than a hunter, and that’s not necessarily a flaw. MBStarscream: Scar has indeed proven himself to be quite a cunning villain, one that still remains one of the most notable and popular Disney villains for good reason, so you don't wanna be alone with this bad cat. Scar: Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared! Be prepared! Everyone (Even Ed): Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared -'' ''Scar: Be prepaaaaaaaaaared! Scar and the hyenas laugh evilly. Shere Khan Hiro: Deep within the jungles of India live a myriad of nature’s most deadly predators. Bears, panthers, wolves, vultures, snakes, it’s no place for a man of any variety. And if you are a man, you best watch your steps, because there in the leaves and trees lives the most deadly hunter of all. A demon he resembles, all clad in orange and black. Al who see him turn and run for their money, though he’d argue he’s a handsome fellow. I refer to none other than Shere Khan. MBStarscream: As a cub, Shere Khan was best friends with Baloo, Bagheera, Louie, Hathi and Kaa. However, he was pretty egotistical and cocky, which sometimes led to his friends bailing him out. Nonetheless, he was shown many times to be fond of his friends and often act protective of them when there was danger and on many occasions he even saved their lives. Hiro: Despite this, Khan always acted tough as he thought the other animals wouldn't respect him anymore if they think he is soft. The group went on many adventures together, but at some undetermined time, Shere Khan became a vicious predator, feared by all the inhabitants of the jungle. Shere Khan then lost his friends, who would become his enemies from that moment forward. Despite this, in the DVD scenes of Jungle Cubs: Born to be Wild, Baloo, now an adult, says that while Khan "first eat and then ask questions" he doesn't do it out of malice, implying that like the other predators Khan simply hunt to survive. MBStarscream: Shere Khan is a Bengal tiger–the most common subspecies of the tiger. This dude ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today, weighing up to 717lbs and reaching a head and body length of 320cm. They're fast animals too, capable of running up to speeds of 40mph in short distances. ''' Hiro: Tigers are known to be capable of hunting prey twice their size, and seeing how easily Shere Khan can deal with the likes of Baloo, an Indian sloth bear, this isn’t a far cry. As emphasized by his hunting Mowgli in the dusk in the second movie, Bengal tigers have very strong eyes and can hunt in the dark, as is often their preference. Tigers are also capable swimmers, which is awfully specific and probably not overly relevant but, hey, nifty. '''MBStarscream: Mundane as it may seem, Shere Khan is perfectly capable of intimidating, pulling at, and downright manhandling Kaa the snake. Kaa is an Indian python reaching a length of 30ft, similar in size to the green anaconda, which may exceed 500lbs in weight. That is 227 friggin' kilograms that Shere Khan has no problem plucking out of a tree, using as a punching bag, and squeezing up and down to search for one man-cub! Hiro: He also knows how to take punishment and get right back up, as shown by shrugging off a tackle from Baloo that sent him flying and surviving a fall from several stories into a pit of lava, landing safely on his feet on the one, very small area of safe rock amidst the magma. Real tigers can even fight evenly with sloth bears, a slap from which can rip a human's face off. MBStarscream: Shere Khan is dignified and sporting, and considers himself above killing a defenseless target. He could’ve easily pounced on and killed Mowgli in a matter of seconds, but he decided to give the man-cub a chance, closing his eyes and counting to ten. However, cross him, and you’ll be exposed to a whole other beast. Bested and humiliated by Mowgli once, he abandoned all attempts of any dignity, becoming a sneaky, cold blooded killer. Hiro: His biggest weakness is fire. Just seeing it close to him is enough to send him packing his bags. But there’s a reason everyone fears Shere Khan. Mowgli owes any and all victories against him to sheer luck. A convenient strike of lightning created the fire he needed to send him away the first time, and his second defeat came only when Shere Khan barely missed a long jump and couldn’t climb up an ornery shaped rock. He’s the most feared hunter in the jungle, and he knows it. Lucky: Hey, hold on, hot pants! Where's the fire? He pulls on Shere Khan's tail while laughing, but his mirth is cut short when the tiger grips his throat tightly with his paw. Shere Khan: Isn't it ironic that your name is Lucky? Buzzie, Flaps, Ziggy and Dizzy all scream and flee in terror as we hear Shere Khan viciously attacking Lucky for mocking him. Fatal Fiction Mario flips a coin. Hiro: Scar may have the homefield advantage, but only one of these two pantherines is king of the beasts. Who is it, the tyrannical Lion King, or the terror of the Jungle Book? MBStarscream: Who’s ready for some cat scratch fever? Winner gets all the catnip they can enjoy and a throw rug made of the loser. ' ---- ''Pride Rock “So this is to be my opponent...” A large, slender, muscular Bengal tiger with orange fur, a white muzzle, paws and underbelly, black stripes, a light brown nose, lavender eye patches and eyelids, yellow eyes, and long, sharp claws was just a few feet away from the immense plateau called Pride Rock. Sitting atop, he could barely make out the shape of a lion. “I hope Kaa was correct when he said this lion would give me a challenge...” '''Shere Khan '''moved up the rocks, his large shoulders swaying up and down as he did. As he neared the top, he could make out a lion with brown and black fur. '''Scar '''rested at the tip of the cliff, staring out at all the light touched, wishing it was his. Plotting to make it his. But he couldn’t ignore the sound of an approaching cat. "If this is Mufasa yet again, I just may throw myself from this very cliff for a change..." When Shere Khan came into view, Scar was surprised to say the least. A tiger? In his territory? "What are you doing on my rock?" sneered Simba's uncle. "Your rock?" Shere Khan repeated, smiling. "So I suppose you’re King Mufasa?" "Don’t insult me." Scar shot back. "I am the truly rightful heir to the Pridelands, Scar." "Indeed." The tiger approached Scar, still smirking confidently. "Well, I am Shere Khan. And…I’m afraid I don’t carry a lofty title to compensate with." "A joke at my expense?!" Scar hissed. "Oh, no, no, yours for free. You look as though you can’t afford more expenses." Shere Khan chuckled. "Your sense of humor is as dry as your bones will be when I feed you to the hyenas, tiger." Scar rose from his place on Pride Rock and glared at Shere Khan. " Oh, I’m shaking in my black and orange pelt." Shere Khan chuckled. "Now, I hate a terribly easy bout. Which is why I’ll give you a head start to run away. I’ll count to ten." Shere Khan shut his eyes. "Really now? Patronizing me in such a manner will only make things worse for you." Scar watched the tiger begin to count. "One." "He’s actually…?" "Two. Three…" Scar looked around. Was this a trap? "Four…AAAGH!" Before Shere Khan could carry on counting, he felt Scar’s claw drag down his eye. Scar smiled as Shere Khan was drawn backwards from the blow. "I gave you a chance to run and you scratch my eye?" Shere Khan shook off the blow as blood dripped from his face. "No matter. I’m sure such a scar will look better on me anyhow." '''FIGHT! Shere Khan let out a tremendous roar as he lunged at Scar, who managed to dodge the tiger by jumping backward. Scar cupped a pile of pebbles and dust from the ground he stood on in his paw as Shere Khan approached. Before the tiger could react, Scar swept the sand and rocks up into Shere Khan’s face. The sediments forced his eyes shut, stinging greatly, and the open wound on his face did him no favors in the matter. "Can’t see, can you?" Scar teased. "Oh, how unfortunate." Scar walked around Shere Khan so that he was facing the tiger's side, and then lunged at his adversary, sinking his teeth into Shere Khan's neck. When he managed to get Shere Khan on his back, Scar wasted no time biting his opponent's throat in the hopes of tearing it out and ending the battle early. But Shere Khan was clearly the stronger felid, as he was able to reverse their positions easily and pin Scar beneath him. Both cats snarled and tore at each other, digging their claws into each other’s bodies and biting at their faces. After a brief moment, the scuffle was broken off as Scar and Shere Khan pulled away from each other and got back up. Baring his teeth in a snarl, Scar swung with his right forelimb, swatting Shere Khan’s face as the striped cat recoiled. Rearing onto his hind legs, Shere Khan retaliated with several swipes of his front legs, his claws raking themselves across Scar’s face and mane, small bits blood and fur being sent flying from the assault. Managing to endure the attack, Scar bit into Shere Khan’s left forelimb just as the tiger bit into the lion’s mane, his teeth bypassing Scar’s fur and digging into his hide. Both cats reared up and swatted at one another furiously, Scar constantly shifting between favoring his left and right foreleg as he swung with each limb. Shere Khan, meanwhile, stood upon his hind limbs and struck again and again with both forelimbs, making Scar recoil. Blood trickling down their numerous cuts and other wounds, Scar and Shere Khan took a moment to recuperate. An idea then exploded in Scar's head, and he smiled deviously at his striped opponent, just daring ''him to make the next move. And that was exactly what Shere Khan did. Little did he know, he had fallen right into Scar's trap. Allowing Shere Khan to come on top of him, Scar rolled over onto his back, pressed a hind leg against Shere Khan's stomach and used the tiger's momentum in a "throw". Before Shere Khan could tell, he was falling off of Pride Rock. He let out an enormous roar that faded as he fell. Scar looked over the the edge of the cliff. "I doubt anyone could survive that fall.” Scar mused. “But just in case, there’s a little greeting party waiting for him..." Shere Khan landed on the plains below, and managed to do so perfectly on his feet. Besides a somewhat strained paw, and a bit of nausea from the fall, he was unharmed. And very annoyed, at that. "Not even the man-cub would pull tricks that dastardly. Confound that malnourished excuse for a predator..." Suddenly, Shere Khan felt another presence…accompanied by another, and yet another. He soon found himself surrounded by yellow eyed, yelping hyenas. "So this is his failsafe, I take it..." Shere Khan eyed every hyena that cornered him. "You heard the boss, fellas!" Banzai shouted. "Yeah, you get to eat whatever part of the tiger you sink your teeth into!" Shenzi added, while Ed laughed voraciously. Shere Khan took on a pouncing stance, his head low to the ground, as several spotted wild dogs, laughing wildly, rushed at the tiger. The first one unfortunate enough to try and bite Shere Khan’s face didn’t realize his own face was close to the felid's, and felt the tiger’s jaw crash down on his skull. Another jumped on Shere Khan from above, only for the tiger to kick him away with his hind legs. Shere Khan felt a stinging bite on each of his shoulders. Two sadistically chuckling hyenas clung to him by their mouths, but a tug of their tail was all it took to remove them and throw them a distance. The crashing hyena’s bodies slammed into their brethren, disorienting them further. Shere Khan let out a huge roar and began to furiously swipe his claws. The stomachs of three hyenas were slashed open before Shere Khan ran at another, biting directly into its neck. His teeth stained with blood, Shere Khan let out a triumphant roar, standing on a pile of his red soaked prey. This was enough to frighten any remaining hyenas, who all turned tail to run. "Scar said he’d be weak!" Banzai reflected as he struggled to escape with his tail between his legs. "We should know better than to trust that lyin’ lion by now!" Shenzi scolded. Shere Khan watched the cowards run for their good for nothing lives before redirecting his attention to Pride Rock. At the top of the mountainous ridges, Scar licked his fur. That tiger had really done a terrific job ruining his good hair day. Shere Khan leered around a rock, careful to remain deadly silent. Scar rose from his resting place. "I wonder how many of those hyenas the tiger managed to kill before he couldn’t go on anymore." Scar picked up an old bone and toyed with it as he thought aloud. "He couldn’t have kept that up forever." "On the contrary." Shere Khan smiled, revealing himself to Scar, whose heart skipped a beat. The lion quickly felt Shere Khan’s full weight on top of him. "Ooh, Shere Khan!" Scar stammered. “I-I meant to warn you about the hyenas! I wasn’t sure if after our... *gulp* our friendly skirmish they’d try to take advantage of--" Scar was cut off by the mass of Shere Khan’s massive paw, the tiger’s hot breath only adding to the suffocating situation. "There seems to be something wrong with your throat, Scar." Shere Khan growled. "All it can produce is lies. Don’t worry, I’ll take a closer look." With that, Shere Khan removed his paw from Scar’s mouth and plunged it, claws exposed, directly into Scar’s neck. From there, he pulled a large chunk of pink meat. Before Scar could even attempt to gasp for air, he suffered through the tiger’s claws making a fine line from the opening that was once his neck down to his abdomen. Shere Khan was especially careful to draw out this prey’s demise. When he was finished, Shere Khan raised his arm to his nose, taking in the aroma that drenched his claws. "No... I won’t sully my taste buds with your treacherous blood.” '''FATALITY!' Results MBStarscream: That was savage! Hiro: Scar was more cunning and devious, had the speed advantage and was undoubtedly a more bloodthirsty and unpredictable fighter, but Shere Khan held several key advantages that Scar ultimately could not overcome. For starters, tigers are known as the world’s largest living cats for a reason; lions typically weigh less than tigers at a puny 418lbs. Even at equal size, the tiger’s still heavier due to its larger muscle mass, so Shere Khan is clearly the larger of the two. MBStarscream: Shere Khan also has a stronger set of jaws that are better suited for flat out killing, while Scar’s are more suited for restraining, and whereas lions fight with one swing of a forelimb at a time, tigers fight with both forelimbs at once, rearing up and swinging like a boxer. Hiro: Even disregarding the lion vs. tiger debate, Shere Khan is a sportsman and Scar is a cheater. Scar was able to take advantage of this, but only for so long. If you cross Shere Khan, he stops giving you a sporting chance. MBStarscream: The hyenas greatly outnumbered Shere Khan, but the tiger is used to keeping track of multiple targets. When he attempted to kill Mowgli for the firs ttime, also present and trying to distract him were Baloo and four buzzards. Plus, three of the hyenas couldn’t even kill two lion cubs. Not sure how the math evens out converting lion cubs to... Shere Khan, but if the tiger can curbstomp a bear, a bunch of cowardly, as well as rather stupid to boot, hyenas shouldn’t have been a huge issue. Hiro: The problem with Scar is that he tends to assume he won the first time. His favorite move is ‘fling my adversary off the cliff’, but Shere Khan is living proof that all cats land on their feet. Some like to argue that Scar has earthbending powers as shown in his musical number, Be Prepared, but this is a tremendous outlier with no other supporting evidence. And even assuming he did have such abilities, whatever reason he had not to use them on Simba prevented him from using them on Shere Khan as well. MBStarscream: In the end, Scar couldn’t measure up to Shere Khan’s tremendous strength, or his wrath after having pissed him off once. Someone wasn’t ready to earn their stripes. Hiro: Shere Khan wins. Advantages Shere Khan (Winner) * Size and weight advantage * Stronger * More powerful jaws * Is a better fighter and hunter * More intimidating Polls Who would you be rooting for? Scar Shere Khan Both Do you agree with the results? Yes No Both should've won Category:What-if Fatal Fictions Category:Villain VS Villain Theme Category:Duel of the Movies Theme Category:'Company' themed What-If? Fatal Fictions Category:Duel of the Animals Theme Category:Wolverine-Man Category:'Movie vs. Book' themed Fatal Fictions Category:Completed What-If? Fatal Fictions